And then he threatened to kill himself
Nightmare viva stories as opportunities for learning
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 9744930 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Pat Sikes (0000-0003-2399-0222, University of KwaZulu-Natal, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2017 |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 230-242 |
| Publication date | 2017-11-13 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Qualitative Research Journal (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1443-9883 • E-ISSN: 1448-0980 |
| Publisher | Emerald (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1108/qrj-12-2016-0074 |
| OpenAlex | W2599708125 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 12 |
| References cited | 27 |
Purpose In the UK and countries following similar systems of doctoral assessment, there is little research-based evidence about what goes on in vivas. However, “doctoral assessment ‘horror stories’”, abound. The purpose of this paper is to report a study focussing on difficult doctoral examining experiences and argue that sharing such stories can provide a useful basis for examiner and supervisor education. Design/methodology/approach The study took a narrative auto/biographical approach. Findings The stories participants told show that doctoral examining is relational, emotional and ethical work and that viva outcomes are strongly influenced by subjectivities. There was felt to be a need to share stories of difficulties in order to bring them into the open with a view to prompting transformational change. Research limitations/implications Participants were self-selecting and all worked at the same institution. Originality/value There are few accounts of examiners’ experiences of the viva
Art · Institution · Literature · Narrative · Narrative inquiry · Nightmare · Originality · Pedagogy · Political science · Public relations · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · Supervisor · Transformational leadership · Value (mathematics · Doctoral Education Challenges and Solutions · Health and Medical Research Impacts · Innovations in Medical Education · Law · Psychology · Social Psychology
Navigating the PhD viva ‘tug of war’
Students’ Perceptions of Doctoral Defense Formats
Students’ Perceptions of Doctoral Defense in Relation to Sociodemographic Characteristics
Doctoral examiners’ narratives of learning to examine in the PhD viva
Investigating the role of convenors in the PhD viva
Student experiences of the ‘closed-door’ PhD and doctorate level viva voce
Does the viva matter? PhD student experiences of the oral examination and its contribution to examination outcome and researcher development
Addressing the shortcomings of the closed-door viva for PhD and doctoral candidates in the UK
Preserving doctoral integrity – an international study of examiner perspectives on the role of the oral examination in doctoral study
Speaking the language of defence
Addressing in/equalities
Doctoral defence formats
Engaging in Narrative Inquiry
The concept of ‘originality’ in the Ph.D
Theorising the academic viva in higher education
Examining PhD and research masters theses
What examiners do
Back to Basics
Variations in Vivas
The necessities of violence
The doctoral viva voce as a cultural practice
The new professionalism
Searching for 'doctorateness
You don't want a smart Alec
External examining
Examining the examiners
The rather elusive concept of 'doctorateness
It's a PhD, not a Nobel Prize
The Rites of Passage
Caught With a Fake ID
On Auto/Biography in Sociology
| Unique citing works | 12 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 2,4 |
| Citation span | 2021 - 2026 (6) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 12 |